Cherry Almond Muffins

While trying to figure out my menu for our big Valentine's dinner, I came across this recipe for cherry almond bread.  I instantly fell in love with the pink and red colors, and the more I thought about the flavor combo, the more I couldn't wait to try it!  I actually had Kevin run to Walmart for me (He was already out) so he could get the ingredients and I could make it that night!

Hayden is the big cherry fan at our house.  He loved how it turned out, but I knew it needed some tweaking to make it something more of us liked!

Round two, I made mini muffins instead of small loaves of bread.  I also put the cherries through the food processer instead of using my little chopper from pampered chef!  Some of the kids didn't like the bigger pieces of cherry, so that's why I did that.  You can chop them however you desire!

My little sampler

My iPhone doesn't capture the pretty pink like my regular camera does (like the loaf in the top pic!)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. sugar
• ½ c.canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cherry extract
• 1½ tsp. almond extract
• 2¼ c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 (8 oz.) jar maraschino cherries, chopped, juice reserved
• powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease mini muffin pans; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and oil; add eggs, vanilla, cherry, and almond extract and beat well. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Measure out ½ cup of the reserved maraschino cherry juice. If juice does not equal ½ cup, add enough water to make up the rest. Alternately add the flour mixture and cherry juice to the sugar mixture until it is just combined. Stir in the chopped cherries.
2. Fill the mini muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 12-13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove muffins to cool completely on a wire rack. Dust tops of bread with powdered sugar, if desired, slice and serve. Makes: 30 mini muffins

These are the perfect little Valentines snacks/treats!  Hope you all enjoy them!